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Dalbergia obovata
Also called Climbing Flatbean
Dalbergia obovata is a robust climbing shrub or small tree from southern Africa, grown in gardens for its fragrant flowers and dense hedging. It needs a warm, sunny spot and tolerates dry conditions once established.
Dalbergia obovata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is sometimes referred to by the common name climbing flat bean. It is a robust shrub or climber that is native to Southern Africa.
This species favours coastal and riverine forest and forest margins as well as wooded slopes, and deciduous woodland. It is found from the Eastern Cape, through KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique to Tanzania.
The stems are used for traditional woven hut walls and fishing baskets (in Maputaland). The heavy reddish wood is used for sticks and stools. A root infusion is used to treat stomach-ache and toothache, and the roots are used to make a Zulu love charm. The bark is used to treat sore mouths in babies and for making rope (twine), and ash from burnt bark is added to snuff. Dalbergia obovata is also used as a garden plant because of its showy flowers and can make an impenetrable hedge. The leaves can be used to feed livestock.
Hluhluwe climber · Thailand rosewood · Coinvine · Cocobolo · Hwangdan · Indian rosewood · Dalbergia maritima · African blackwood · Dalbergia miscolobium · Brazilian rosewood · Fragrant Rosewood · Burmese Rosewood
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dalbergia obovata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
